Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 83

8. Each One’s Aim

1

Mount Berhorn, located in the mid-western part of the Baroque Empire.

This rocky mountain, with its horn-like peaks, was so treacherous that even the hunters who operated nearby dared not set foot on it. It was known to have nothing but stones and monsters, but recently, human figures had been appearing there quite frequently.

Moreover, they were heavily armed groups, moving in an orderly fashion like an army, along with monsters such as orcs and gnolls.

The one leading them was the orc hero, Shaikhan.

After visiting his mother’s grave and reuniting with his maternal family, he was steadily preparing to fulfill his ambitions.

Then, he received urgent news from his cousin, Mitchell.

“The first battle between the Imperial faction and the Noble faction has begun?”

“Yes, the Gigant units [large, humanoid war machines] of both sides clashed in the Rourde Plains south of Nemesis.”

“So, the Noble faction has finally started their counterattack.”

Shaikhan had been receiving news from the capital through his maternal family, the Evra family, and their allies, about the incidents in the Imperial Palace and the hearings.

About two weeks ago, he heard that the Emperor had massacred a number of Noble faction councilors.

Rudolph, who had been mentally exhausted by the deaths of his children and political attacks, had reportedly committed the atrocity of appearing in the Imperial Council and wielding a sword.

This tragedy was widely publicized throughout the empire, along with the Emperor’s declaration to destroy the Noble faction, shocking and enraging many.

Even if he had personal troubles, it was something an Emperor should never do. If he had grievances with the Noble faction, he could have summoned them, scolded them, or politically cornered them.

But to invade the Imperial Council and massacre numerous Noble faction councilors without due process!

In any case, the aftermath completely shook the Baroque Empire.

‘Let’s overthrow the mad Emperor!’

‘Let’s drive out the tyrant and reform the Empire!’

These slogans, seemingly spread by the Noble faction, spread like wildfire.

As a result, not only the Noble faction but also the neutral lords were stirred up.

“What was the result of the battle in the Rourde Plains?”

Mitchell answered Shaikhan’s question.

“The Noble faction was defeated, but the Central Army also suffered considerable damage. The power vacuum caused by the lack of lower-ranking commanders and expert-level knights was the cause.”

“Hmm, did the Noble faction have the power to inflict damage on the Central Army?”

Duke Butler and Marquis Myers, who had escaped from Nemesis, had been on the run until recently.

For them to have prepared a force to oppose the Central Army near the capital, where the Imperial faction’s influence was strong, was incomprehensible to Shaikhan.

“The force mobilized by the Noble faction this time is said to be what Marquis Cabanel, who was killed by the Emperor, had gathered.”

“Is that so? They properly utilized the power of a dead man. That means their main force in their base is intact…”

“That’s right. Considering the situation afterward, it can be said that the Imperial faction is the one that suffered a loss.”

According to Mitchell’s explanation, the Noble faction lords, enraged by the Emperor’s atrocities, were joining Butler and Myers’s camp with their territorial armies.

Moreover, some neutral lords were also showing signs of turning to the Noble faction.

“On the other hand, the Imperial faction’s power is not in good shape. The northern nobles, who are the traditional Imperial faction, have not yet recovered from the damage they suffered when they were invaded by the Volga Republic.”

In addition, the Central Army fought the battle without properly recovering its strength after the battle with the demons.

In that situation, it was uncertain how quickly they could recover from the losses.

“Besides the Central Army, there are four more legions, aren’t there?”

“Yes, there are the border legions of the east, west, south, and north, but the western legion is practically Duke Butler’s private army, and the southern legion is almost entirely controlled by Marquis Myers.”

“Indeed, those two legions have always had a high proportion of nobles.”

The northern and eastern legions remained, but those two legions had to keep the Volga Republic and the Holy Artenia Empire in check, so they could not move carelessly.

Of course, they could try to extract as much force as possible and join the Central Army.

If they were cornered, they would have no choice but to ignore the border situation.

“Anyway, both the Imperial faction and the Noble faction will be desperate. Considering what Emperor Rudolph did, it’s hard to expect any negotiations or compromises between the two sides.”

“Right, the fight won’t end until one of them falls.”

“In fact, the country is practically split in two. It’s a very good opportunity for us, my lord!”

Mitchell and the former retainers of the Evra family were serving Shaikhan as their new lord.

They considered him a true monarch, a forsaken prince, a descendant of the fallen Lybia royal family, and a descendant of the Divine Dragon Tiamat, who was truly qualified to rule the continent.

“You are right. It’s a good opportunity. While both sides are fighting, we can expand our power further.”

Currently, Shaikhan had an army of about 30,000 monsters, knight orders held by nobles who were friendly with the Evra family, and a Gigant unit as his forces.

It was not enough to fight against the entire empire, let alone a region.

Moreover, considering public sentiment, the monster army could not be used carelessly.

Therefore, he had to make good use of this opportunity.

“First of all, it is important to persuade the small and medium-sized lords belonging to the neutral faction to join our side. Baron Guildman is already selecting targets and preparing to negotiate.”

Shaikhan shook his head at Mitchell’s words.

“I will take care of that myself.”

“You will, my lord?”

“Yes. I need to show those who are wavering about which side to take, the Imperial faction or the Noble faction, that there is another option.”

Mitchell nodded at Shaikhan’s words.

It might be dangerous, but if their lord took the lead, the negotiations would surely go much smoother.

“It would be better to hurry as much as possible. There will be ambitious people who see the current situation not as a crisis but as a good opportunity.”

“Is there anyone in particular that you are concerned about, my lord?”

Shaikhan smiled faintly at Mitchell’s words.

“I visited the Rakan territory before. It has developed considerably as rumored. Nevertheless, the knights’ fighting spirit was high.”

The wealthier the territory, the more Gigants they possessed, and the more skilled knights they had.

However, even if they were skilled, he rarely felt impressed.

The knights’ fighting spirit had dulled in the prosperous and relaxed environment.

“The lord who has such knights must be no ordinary person. He will surely show promising moves in the future.”

“Indeed, the Rakan family has been an enemy of the Imperial family for generations.”

“That’s right. And there is one more person I’m looking forward to… I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing now.”

“Who are you so curious about?”

“Hehehe. You’d be surprised if you knew who it was.”

Shaikhan recalled the black magician he had met in the Navarr Principality before.

That black magician, who had blocked his path at the time, was surprisingly a descendant of the Demon King Seymon.

He wanted to meet him again as an ally to overthrow the Imperial family, but he had not heard any news since then.

The only thing he knew was that he had briefly met a demon, one of his underlings, near the Rakan territory.

‘Should I have asked for news then? No, there will be a chance to meet again someday. In times of chaos, all kinds of talents emerge.’

Shaikhan suppressed his disappointment, filled with anticipation.

However, he could not even imagine that the descendant of Seymon he was looking for was the lord of the Rakan March.

And that he was the real Seymon.

2

Shaikhan was not the only one reacting sensitively to the situation as the civil war broke out.

Luke was also gathering information and solidifying the interior of his territory. This was so that he could later move forward with his desired actions without worry.

“The number of refugees, which had decreased for a while, has recently increased again. It is presumed to be due to the effects of the civil war.”

During the regular meeting.

Maron, the chief priest of the Rakan March, said while looking at the documents.

The temple was in charge of the relief of refugees in the territory, so the priests were more familiar with the situation than the administrators.

“I don’t think the war has come down to the south yet?”

“That’s true, but the southern Noble faction territories, including the Myers March, are under a general mobilization order. Because of that, the refugees are facing a threat to their survival.”

In peacetime, they would have been left alone, but the situation changed when the civil war broke out.

In a total war situation, the lords were indiscriminately capturing vulnerable refugees and conscripting them as soldiers or forcing them into labor.

Therefore, the refugees in the southern region were fleeing to the Rakan territory for their survival and safety.

“It seems that more people are gathering because our territory has not yet shown any signs of joining the civil war.”

Bentley, the new finance officer, raised his hand and spoke at the end of Maron’s statement.

He was the eldest son of Dickson and was considered to be more meticulous and calculating than his father.

“There is a limit to feeding and housing refugees for free. We need to come up with a solution quickly.”

“Do you have any ideas?”

“Yes, how about arranging employment in the mines for now?”

Luke nodded at Bentley’s words.

“That sounds like a good idea. Kurkan was already nagging about the lack of manpower.”

The territory’s mines were managed by the Red Hammer tribe, but the number of miners had decreased quite a bit recently.

Although the wages were high and they were taking care of various things to prevent accidents, mining was still a difficult and dangerous job.

So, people would work in the mines for a while, and when they had saved enough money, they would buy land to farm or go to the city to do business.

It wasn’t just humans who were like this.

Even the dwarves, who were said to be born to dig, tried to get into workshops or magic towers whenever they had the chance.

Last time, when the Katarina Magic Tower was recruiting new blacksmiths, they had a big fight over who would go.

So, the refugees who go to the mines this time will probably leave within a few years.

‘It’s the same for humans and elves when it comes to looking for easy work.’

Luke, who inwardly shook his head, asked Rogers, the commander of the territory’s army.

“Commander, what is the current total strength of our family?”

“There have been quite a few changes since the Albertville territory was added and the Red Wolf Knights were newly created.”

Over the past year, the Rakan March’s own strength had increased, but the addition of the Albertville territory had been quite helpful in increasing its power.

This was because there were 5,000 trained soldiers and 36 Gigants deployed in the Albertville territory alone.

In addition, the knight order’s strength was also substantial, and if they were used as a hidden card, they could inflict great damage on the Imperial faction.

“Currently, in our Rakan March alone, there are a total of 150 Gigants, including Knight-class and Warrior-class. The number of troops has increased to 35,000, and the number of knights, including regular knights and apprentice knights, has reached 1,100.”

Luke smiled at the power that exceeded that of a typical march.

He could see that his retainers had worked hard to improve their strength.

“If we combine it with the Albertville territory, it’s comparable to a duchy.”

“That’s right. And in our territory, there are as many as five Sword Masters, which is rare even in a duchy. If you combine the Hero-class Gigants and wooden oxen [likely referring to a type of siege engine or construct] they possess, even the Imperial Central Army will not be our match.”

The scary thing about the Rakan March was that the knight order’s strength was qualitatively superior.

Since it was a barony, the Rakan territory had always had knights with loyalty and skills that were superior to other territories.

But now that five Sword Masters had been added, their power was obvious without even seeing it.

“Good. How is the preparation of the Katarina Magic Tower?”

Mute stepped forward and answered Luke’s question.

“We are currently organizing a magic corps and are making every effort to provide combat support and Gigant logistics support anytime, anywhere.”

“What is the number and skill of the magicians belonging to the magic tower?”

“Currently, there are 20 people above the 5th circle [a measure of magical power], and if you include those above the 4th circle, there are more than 50. Most of them are Iron Mages [mages specializing in metal magic].”

“It’s a pity that there are not enough War Mages, but that’s good enough.”

Luke, who nodded, asked again.

“When will mass production of Knight-class be possible?”

The Katarina Magic Tower had recently succeeded in developing a Knight-class Gigant.

However, the Gigant named ‘Gaius’ had some problems discovered during field testing and was being improved.

To help with this, Luke had provided the core blueprints and magic circles of the Knight-class Gigant Pierre, which he had brought from Dark Moon.

The Katarina magicians, who had studied these, were fixing the problems of Gaius one by one.

“Thanks to you, my lord, we were able to compensate for the lack of core engine output and the problem of balance collapsing during high-speed maneuvers. We will be able to start mass production in two weeks when the production workshop facilities are expanded.”

“It’s not right away, but we will be raising an army soon. I know you’re busy, but please hurry a little more.”

“Understood.”

After that, an opinion was presented to apply the technology and know-how accumulated while developing Gaius to the old Warrior-class Gigants that the Rakan March possessed.

It was a kind of upgrade plan, and the person who proposed it was Alex, the vice-commander of the Unicorn Knights.

“If the plan proceeds as planned, the Gigants of our territory’s army will have the best performance in their class overall.”

“I understand the intention, but it’s difficult to extend our hands to the old Gigants when we have to focus on the production of Gaius and Stiletto.”

Mute said with a troubled expression.

Among the territory’s Warrior-class Gigants, there were quite a few old ones that were purchased before Stiletto.

Moreover, their production towers were different.

To improve them, they had to understand the detailed structure and produce parts accordingly, which would take more time, manpower, and resources than expected.

“It would be better to scrap the old ones and use the materials from them for the production of new Gigants.”

“But doesn’t it take time to produce new ones? How will we fill that gap? Moreover, there are many riders who are more familiar with operating the old ones than the new ones.”

As the debate was about to intensify, Luke stepped in and offered a solution.

“Let’s outsource the improvement of the old Gigants.”

“Outsource? Are you saying we should ask another magic tower?”

“Yes, Argos agents reported that the Hallis Magic Tower is having a hard time these days.”

Luke’s first Gigant purchase was from the Hallis Magic Tower.

The performance of the Sting II they produced was quite satisfactory.

Therefore, he often used the Hallis Magic Tower for purchasing or repairing Gigants afterward.

However, the Magic Tower War put the Hallis Magic Tower in a crisis.

Did they participate in the Magic Tower War?

No, they did not.

When half of the top 10 magic towers on the continent collapsed, they tried to take their place by expanding their facilities and making aggressive investments, which put them in danger of going bankrupt.

Besides the Hallis Magic Tower, many mid-sized magic towers had the same idea, and wealthy lords like Luke established their own magic towers.

Among them, the most prominent move was made by the Myers Marquisate [a territory ruled by a marquis].

They actively recruited wizards from the destroyed magic towers and absorbed all the branches of the destroyed top 10 magic towers in Brenden City, including the branch of the Veritas Magic Tower.

That wasn’t all.

With the foundation they had laid, the Myers Marquisate repaired and produced Gigants on their own, while pressuring the small and medium-sized magic towers within their territory to merge.

“I heard that the Hallis Magic Tower is also under pressure. Gigants aren’t selling, and taxes have increased several times, making it hard to even pay the wages of blacksmiths and wizards.”

“So, you’re saying we should give them work?”

“Yes, they’ll be very grateful just to have work.”

Luke’s reason for helping the Hallis Magic Tower was largely due to the impression he had when he went to buy Gigants.

Unlike the Veritas Magic Tower, they didn’t treat him poorly just because he was from a small and poor territory. They were kind and provided him with various conveniences.

He judged that if they were so diligent and kind, they would be sincere in improving the old models.

“But the Hallis Magic Tower is located in Brenden City, the center of the Myers Marquisate. What if something goes wrong after we send the Gigants there?”

“Are you saying we might lose the Gigants?”

“Yes, aren’t we fighting against the Imperial faction? They might try to confiscate them by force once the improvements are done. They’ll probably just pay a reasonable rent to our territory.”

Rogers thought there was a high possibility that the Myers Marquisate would play tricks.

“Then, why don’t we just bring the people from the Hallis Magic Tower to our territory? Tell them to bring their facilities too. It might be a good idea to have them relocate here altogether.”

Although Lamer City was the best trading city in the south, its industrial base related to magic was lacking.

What little there was was related to medicine or artifacts. As for Gigants, there were only small workshops supporting the clans around the Gigant Arena and some freelance wizards.

“If we attract a magic tower, it will create competition and raise the level of magical engineering, which will also help the Katarina Magic Tower. Plus, we can use them as a support force in case of an emergency.”

“We can provide new jobs for the young people. If the production population increases, we can collect more taxes.”

Bentley, the finance officer, quickly thought of the advantages related to tax revenue.

However, there were still those who opposed it.

“But do they have the technology to handle the improvement work?”

The purpose of upgrading the old Gigants was to make them the best in their class using the technology accumulated while developing the Gaias.

It was natural to doubt whether a small and medium-sized magic tower with no special technical skills could do that.

“We can transfer some of the related technology.”

“Are you serious?”

At Mute’s surprised question, Luke nodded.

“As I said before, the technology we’ll transfer is only a part of it. But it will be a great gift for those who receive it.”

If word spread, other magic towers besides the Hallis Magic Tower would want to come to the Rakan Territory.

If there were benefits given for relocating, they would be even more attracted.

“For example, we could give them tax exemptions for a few years, or support them with materials and manpower when building a magic tower. I plan to use such bait to grow the magic industry in the territory. It’s something we must do for the future.”

“Hmm…”

Although Luke didn’t say it specifically, his vassals had a rough idea of what kind of future he was talking about.

Because the magic industry was the foundation for raising and supporting not only a territory but also a country.

A prime example was the Baroque Empire.

The Baroque Imperial Family had cooperated with the Veritas Magic Tower for a long time and developed the empire’s magic industry based on the Imperial Magic Tower.

As a result, they were able to grow into a great empire comparable to the Holy Artenia Empire.

“We must not just sit back and watch this civil war. Although there may be some dissatisfaction, please follow me for the sake of me and the future of the territory.”

“Understood, Lord.”

As Luke suggested, it was decided to outsource the work to the Hallis Magic Tower.

Plans and measures to promote the magic industry in the territory were also established and announced the next day.

With this, the Rakan Territory was able to prepare for its second leap forward.

3

The Hallis Magic Tower, having received Luke’s call, rushed to the Rakan Marquisate without any delay.

They brought not only Iron Mages [mages specializing in metalworking and construction] but also trailers loaded with related equipment. They set up a temporary magic tower on the outskirts of Lamer City and began the work of improving the old Gigants.

Luke visited the Hallis Magic Tower himself to check if the related technology had been properly transferred and if the Gigant upgrades were progressing well.

He thought there would be many shortcomings due to it being a temporary magic tower, such as a lack of accommodation and convenience facilities, but surprisingly, there weren’t many problems.

This was because Lamer City’s finances and resources were so abundant that there was no shortage of support.

“That’s a relief. You’ll settle in quickly.”

At Luke’s words, Merrill, the head of the Hallis Magic Tower, and the Meister [a master craftsman or expert] bowed their heads in gratitude.

“All of this is thanks to your Lordship’s full support of our magic tower.”

“It’s more like the result of your hard work. By the way, did the Myers Marquisate interfere when you came here?”

Although they were a small to medium-sized magic tower, they were a treasure that paid a lot of taxes to the territory.

He thought they wouldn’t just let that treasure go.

“Fortunately, they seemed too busy focusing on the fight against the Imperial faction to pay much attention. Also, they didn’t say much because we sold the magic tower site, old facilities, and surplus materials at a low price.”

“Is that so? Anyway, feel free to tell me if you need anything.”

After finishing his conversation with the two, Luke headed to the lord’s manor in Lamer City.

He was going to meet Pavel, who was currently in charge of the Kirillov Merchant Guild in place of Reina, to find out how the guild was operating.

“How is trade with the Southern Continent going?”

“It’s going well. The number of trading ships is increasing every year, and the types and quantities of goods being traded are also steadily increasing. Based on this trade volume, we plan to increase the current 12 branches established in other kingdoms to 30.”

Moreover, they had started creating branches not only in the Rodisia Continent but also in the Song Empire and Yemaek of the Southern Continent.

“If this continues for about 10 years, we might become one of the leading merchant guilds in the Rodisia Continent.”

“Really? Just imagining it makes me feel good.”

The Kirillov Merchant Guild was developing rapidly thanks to the efforts of the former vassals of the Volga Kingdom.

In Luke’s view, they seemed to have set their goal on seizing the economic power of the continent instead of rebuilding the ruined kingdom.

“By the way, what happened to the ironwood?”

Luke had ordered them to secure ironwood for his personal Gigant as well as for the Orions.

This was to reduce production costs by replacing the expensive radium alloy.

“As it happens, our merchant group in the Song Empire contacted the Zhuge family, but they refused to sell it.”

“Tsk, they should sell it if they can.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I heard that the people of the Zhuge family are quite closed off, and they don’t sell even ironwood, let alone wooden oxen [a type of ancient Chinese transport], unless they have built trust over a long period.”

‘Tch, just as Hwangbo Sung said. It’s a shame, but I’ll have to postpone that issue for now.’

Luke decided to use radium alloy for his personal Gigant for now and add synchronized helms to the general Orions as soon as ironwood was secured.

After finishing his conversation with Pavel, Luke received reports on the city administration for over an hour.

The reports from the administrators in charge of each field were quite satisfactory.

Among them, the suggestion of a young administrator named Zetos was interesting.

“We are currently trying to attract magic towers to foster the magic industry, but this is not enough. We need to establish an academy to nurture not only wizards but also excellent talents.”

“An academy…”

There were small and large educational facilities in the Rakan Marquisate, but there was no large and professional institution like an academy.

“Usually, large territories like a marquisate have one. An academy is essential for the future.”

“Hmm, that’s right. But establishing an academy is not an easy task.”

It was more difficult to secure professors and lecturers who were well-versed in related subjects than to prepare the facilities for the academy.

It was not appropriate to entrust it to just anyone if they wanted to nurture talented individuals. They needed people who were somewhat renowned and knowledgeable.

“Let’s discuss it with the vassals and make a plan. You should also think about site selection and funding.”

“Yes, Lord.”

After issuing a series of instructions, Luke returned to the lord’s castle.

While he was resting for a while after returning, Hans rushed in and spoke to him.

“Lord, an envoy from the Myers Marquisate has arrived.”

“An envoy?”

“Perhaps it’s a request to join the noble faction?”

It had been a few days since the Myers Marquis had sent a letter.

The letter stated that they should join forces to overthrow the mad tyrant and participate in reforming the empire.

Later writers would praise it as a masterpiece that would ignite the will to fight, but Luke had roughly skimmed through it and used it as kindling for the fireplace.

He had no intention of getting involved in the fight between the mad emperor and the greedy nobles.

Since there was no reply to the letter, they probably sent someone directly.

“Tell them I’m not here.”

“I already said that, but they said they would wait until you return. They said they must get a definite answer before they leave.”

“What a nuisance.”

Luke thought he should meet them for now.

However, he didn’t go out right away and deliberately went to the reception room half a day later.

If he went right away after saying he wasn’t there, it would be a lie. Plus, he needed to make the annoying envoy impatient to take the lead in the conversation.

“Who is it? It’s you.”

“It’s been a while, Lord.”

The person who came as an envoy from the Myers Marquis was Baron Bazo.

He had met him once before joining the Imperial Army. Unlike then, Luke spoke to him casually.

This was because his current title and position were in no way inferior to those of the Myers Marquis.

“I heard you had a terminal illness, but it seems that was just a rumor. I’m glad to see you looking so healthy.”

“Where did you hear that rumor?”

“Hehehe. I heard it from a reliable source.”

Luke had previously used Angri, who had become his familiar, and the Imperial Intelligence Agency to report that he had a terminal illness and that a double was acting in his place, in order to deceive the emperor.

However, he had not spread the rumor separately, so the surrounding territories were unaware of this situation.

Nevertheless, the fact that Baron Bazo knew about it meant…

‘Was there a Myers’ spy within the Imperial Intelligence Agency?’

That was highly likely, but Luke didn’t particularly worry or take it seriously.

Since he had completely subjugated the Intelligence Agency last time, it was impossible to commit acts of betrayal such as leaking information in the future.

“I needed to lay low for a while. Anyway, what’s the reason for your visit? Is it to ask me to join the noble faction?”

“There would be nothing more we could ask for if the Rakan Marquisate would side with us. It would be like having a thousand troops actually join us.”

Although 500 years had passed, the warrior Rakan was still an idol to the knights of the continent.

Therefore, there were many who sympathized with the fall of the Rakan family, and there were also many who had antipathy towards the Baroque Imperial Family.

What would happen if they heard the rumor that the Rakan family was fighting against the mad emperor?

It was certain that many volunteers would flock to the noble faction.

Among them would be lords who possessed Gigants and riders with outstanding skills.

“Will you side with us?”

“If I had any intention of doing that, I would have already led the Knights and gone to see the Myers Marquis. Unfortunately, I’m too busy managing the territory and looking for Princess Reina to pay attention to other things.”

‘What a shameless bastard!’

Baron Bazo was well aware of Luke’s true intentions, which were to subtly expect to profit from the situation while the Imperial faction and the noble faction were fighting.

However, he was not foolish enough to show his emotions on the surface.

“That’s a shame. Then, even if you don’t do anything else, I hope you will at least listen to this. While we are fighting the emperor’s army…”

“You’re asking me not to attack from behind?”

At Luke’s words, Baron Bazo nodded.

“We can’t give our all if our rear is unstable. So, I want to make sure of this issue.”

Baron Bazo’s eyes were serious, unlike before.

“What if I don’t promise?”

At Luke’s question, Bazo said in a chilling tone.

“Then, my lord said that it might be unfortunate if we had to point our swords at the Rakan Territory before the mad emperor.”

The Myers Marquis’s warning was likely true. Even if he were in their position, he would have acted the same way.

Luke chuckled and replied.

“Hah. If the Myers Marquis doesn’t touch me first, I have no intention of fighting either. And what good would it do to stab the people fighting against the tyrant in the back?”

“If that is your intention, we can also fight the emperor with all our might with peace of mind.”

Luke and Bazo looked at each other and smiled contentedly.

However, their true intentions were completely different.

‘I’ll watch for now. Once you’re all battered after fighting the emperor, I’ll take care of you all.’

‘You cunning brat! Just you wait. After the emperor falls, it will be your turn.’

Without revealing their inner thoughts, the two shook hands and drafted a treaty promising non-aggression, which they signed and sealed with a magic seal.

With this agreement, the noble faction in the south secured the stability of their rear, and Luke was able to accumulate practical benefits without worrying about war.